After the elections and now that winning candidates are being proclaimed, it is now time for those responsible to start cleaning up their campaign materials. This is also a good opportunity for individuals to create value around products that would otherwise end up in sanitary landfills or illegal dumpsites. With the recently concluded campaign season, the volume of waste, with an addition from the campaign materials, will considerably increase. However, the sizes and capacities of sanitary landfills (SLFs) remain the same. We hope these wastes do not end up in bodies of water and farther to the seas.

The implementation of the closed season for tawilis in Taal Lake, as supported by scientist and different stakeholders, began in March this year.For the whole months of March and April, no catching of tawilis is allowed. DENR CALABARZON received complaints of illegal commercial fishers all throughout the closed season from March 1 to April 30. This period is the most active spawning months for the tawilis based on the studies conducted by Associate Professor Alicia Pagulayan, M.Sc., from UST Department of Biological Sciences and Dr. Ma. Theresa Mercene Mutia from Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. Both discussed the spawning season during the Tawilis Summit 2019. As the closed season ended, Lito De Villa, a private citizen residing in TVPL, is impressed with the increase in size of the Tawilis. “There is already some positive impact felt with the serious implementation of the closed season”, De Villa added. Tawilis reserve areas are the next implementation challenge. In addition to the enforcement of the two-month closed fishing season, The Taal Volcano Protected Landscape Protected Area Management Board (TVPL PAMB) is enforcing the strict compliances to the Unified Rules and Regulations for Fisheries (based on RA 10654, amending RA 8550 known as The Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998) and the compliance with the eNIPAS Act within TVPL. These include use of pesticides, waste burning, illegal discharge of wastewater, project implementation without ECC, and tree cutting without permit. The DENR CALABARZONis urging the public to report violations on the eNIPAS Act within TVPL and other ENR-related cases via sms to +639456215007/ +639083340224, email
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or send us photos, videos and other information via https://www.facebook.com/DENR4AOfficial/ #DENRCalabarzon #TayoAngKalikasanPhoto courtesy of Mr. Lito de Villa

CALAMBA CITY, Laguna -- A top official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 4A (Calabarzon) on Friday appealed to local government units (LGUs) and the public to refrain from flying balloons on special occasions.

“Sa rehiyon ng Calabarzon, nais naming hikayatin ang mga Pamahalaang Lokal na ituring na littering ang pagpapakawala ng lobo dahil doon na rin naman ito patutungo (In the Calabarzon region, we are appealing to the local governments to consider the release of balloons into the air as littering as it would end up this way, anyway),” DENR-4A Executive Director, lawyer Maria Paz G. Luna, said.Luna told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) that they already ordered funeral homes and other party or event organizers to stop releasing balloons into the air.

Flying balloons has become a practice for many Filipino families during funeral rites, believing that these contain their messages of love to the departed.

Luna, however, said this does not mean that the balloons would reach the skies.

“Hindi kaya't ang ibig sabihin noon ay sa purgatoryo ninyo ipinadala ang mensahe? Siguraduhin pong aabot ang mensahe sa mahal sa buhay at hindi sa purgatoryo. (But could this mean that the messages had been sent instead to purgatory? So, make sure the message would really reach your loved ones and not end up in purgatory),” she said.

The move came after the Cove Manila Balloon Drop at the Okada Hotel Manila, an event that would release some 130,000 balloons to usher in the New Year, drew flak from netizens.

The DENR earlier ordered Okada to cancel the event.

In observance of the National Zero Waste Month this January, the department has been promoting environment awareness and action among the citizenry and institutionalizing public participation in the development of national and local integrated, comprehensive and ecological waste management programs.

Luna also advised the public to send their complaints on littering - from releasing balloons to illegal garbage disposal - to DENR-4A through text +639456215007 or +639083340224; or email to
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or post the photo/message of such violations through https://www.facebook.com/DENR4AOfficial/#ZeroWaste or hashtags #DENRCalabarzon and #TayoAngKalikasan. (PNA)

News

After the elections and now that winning candidates are being proclaimed, it is now time for those responsible to start cleaning up their campaign materials. This is also a good opportunity for individuals to create value around products that would otherwise end up in sanitary landfills or illegal dumpsites. With the recently concluded campaign season, the volume of waste, with an addition from the campaign materials, will considerably increase. However, the sizes and capacities of sanitary landfills (SLFs) remain the same. We hope these wastes do not end up in bodies of water and farther to the seas.